Anna 
William & Mary men’s tennis put up a strong fight but fell 4-1 to No. 74 NJIT, the reigning Southland Conference champion, on Monday afternoon at the McCormack-Nagelsen Tennis Center.
Freshman Raz Katz secured the Tribe’s lone victory, battling through a three-set match at No. 5 singles. After losing the first set to Maxime Hankins, Katz responded impressively, dropping just two games to win the next two sets 6-2, 6-0. It marked his ninth win of the season and fourth in dual-match play.
Four of the six singles matches extended to three sets, giving the Tribe a chance to mount a comeback. Along with Katz, freshman Gur Trakhtenberg (No. 1), sophomore Nikita Bortnichek (No. 2), and senior Sean Joseph (No. 4) all won their opening sets. However, NJIT’s Nejc Skorjanc edged out Bortnichek in a tight third set, 6-4, securing the victory for the Highlanders. Trakhtenberg and Joseph were still in their third sets when the match was called after NJIT clinched the win.
In doubles play, William & Mary started strong with a victory on court 2. Joseph and Trakhtenberg defeated Oscar Callo von Platen and Soma Fukuhara 6-2, marking their third consecutive win as a pair. However, NJIT responded with wins at the No. 1 and No. 3 spots to claim the doubles point and take a 1-0 lead. The Highlanders then extended their advantage to 3-0 with straight-set victories at No. 3 and No. 6 singles.
Up Next
William & Mary will return to action next week, hosting Longwood at the Mackesy Tennis Center on Tuesday, March 25, at 4 p.m., weather permitting.
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